Behind the Headlines: Is The Internet Good For The Jews?

The Internet, with its instant communication and worldwide reach, is neither good nor evil, according to Shmuel Rosner, chief U.S. correspondent for the Israeli daily Ha'aretz (read his blog here). "It is just another tool" in disseminating information, and it is up to us to decide how best to make use of it.

But Joshua Hammerman, a Conservative rabbi and columnist for The Jewish Week, calls for employing ethical standards on the Web, and asserted that it has the potential for re-energizing synagogues and connecting caring Jews.

Izzy Grinspan, managing editor of Jewcy.com, a Web site appealing to marginally affiliated Jews in their 20s, suggests that the Internet allows young people to explore and discuss Jewish issues from a safe distance, without joining the Establishment.
The three participated in a panel on "Jewish Identity Online: Blogging, Ethics and Community," sponsored by The Jewish Week in partnership with the new downtown JCP (Jewish Community Project), where it was held Wednesday night.

I moderated the discussion, much of which focused on "community," and whether the Internet fosters a sense of camaraderie by connecting like-minded people beyond geographical boundaries or contributes to a sense of isolation, with people participating through the privacy of their homes.

The jury was out on that one, but while some in the audience wondered how the Internet could strengthen Jewish life, Rosner questioned what "Jewish life" really means. He insisted that value judgments should not be made about a technological tool that, for all its impact, remains neutral.

Untrue rumors about Barack Obama's Muslim ties can reach millions of people instantly on the Internet, Rosner acknowledged, but so can information disproving the rumors, he said.

Rabbi Hammerman spoke of how the Internet has helped him as a rabbi not only reach congregants by providing them with information through e-mails, but answer difficult questions they might not pose in person, from the basics of Jewish ritual to highly personal, ethical questions they can ask anonymously.

He said synagogues and Jewish institutions need to think more deeply about adapting to the modern age.

Grinspan said Jewcy.com, whose provocative essays often challenge the organized Jewish community, was creating a community, and it remained to be seen whether these people will, a decade from now, themselves join synagogues and organizations or remain interested in Jewish life from a distance.

The program was videotaped and an edited version will be posted on The Jewish Week Web site in the next few days.